Sweet Pickled Beaver

If you’ve got a beaver and you’re wondering what to do with it, you’ve come to the right place. This traditional Canadian recipe takes the gamey edge off beaver meat through a careful multi-step process that transforms it into something surprisingly tender and sweet.

First comes an overnight salt water brine, then a baking soda simmer to pull out any remaining strong flavors, followed by a quick cook with pickling spices. By the time the meat hits the roasting pan, it’s clean-tasting and ready to soak up a glaze of brown sugar, dry mustard, cinnamon, cloves, white wine, and pineapple juice.

Roasted low and basted frequently, the beaver turns out fork-tender with a sticky, sweet-spiced crust that’ll surprise anyone who thinks wild game can’t be elegant.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t skip any of the soaking and simmering steps. Each one pulls out a layer of gamey flavor. The baking soda simmer in particular is what makes the meat taste clean.
• Baste frequently during roasting. The sugar-heavy glaze caramelizes beautifully but needs regular reapplication to build up those layers of sticky, glossy flavor.
• If you can’t get white wine, apple juice works as a substitute and adds even more sweetness to the glaze.